The Dow Chemical Company joins the TOP Programme

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that the Dow Chemical Company (Dow) will become the latest member of The Olympic Partners (TOP) Programme.

The agreement positions Dow as an official Worldwide Olympic Partner and the official Chemistry company for the Olympic Movement through to 2020, including for the London 2012 Olympic Games, Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games and Rio 2016 Olympic Games (as well as for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and the 2020 Olympic Games, for which the host cities have yet to be elected). As part of the agreement, Dow will also partner the IOC and the National Olympic Committees around the world.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said, “We are delighted to welcome Dow to the TOP Programme. As a global leader in the chemical industry and an innovator in sustainability, Dow will not only provide critical financial support to the Olympic Movement, but also bring industry-leading expertise and innovation to the Games themselves. Dow will be an important partner in making our vision for sustainability a reality.”

The Dow Chemical Company Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris said, “With our long-standing commitment to global sustainability, innovation, scientific excellence and addressing world challenges, we believe Dow is perfectly matched to the vision of the Olympic Movement, which is about peace, progress and the world coming together to celebrate our common humanity. In addition, our association with the Olympic Games will present Dow with tremendous new business opportunities, making this partnership a powerful growth catalyst that comes at the right time in our Company’s strategic transformation.”

IOC Marketing Commission Chairman Gerhard Heiberg added, “Dow has supported the Olympic Movement for several years, including most recently as a partner of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and we are delighted it will extend its partnership to a global basis for the next decade. The long-term nature of this partnership is excellent news for the Olympic Movement as a whole –as a Worldwide TOP Partner, Dow supports all of the constituents including the IOC, the Organising Committees of the Olympic Games, the National Olympic Committees and their teams, and ultimately the athletes themselves.”

TOP stands for The Olympic Partners Programme. Created in 1985, the TOP Programme, managed by the IOC, is the only sponsorship with the exclusive worldwide marketing rights to both Winter and Summer Games.

As an event that commands the focus of the media and the attention of the entire world for two weeks every other year, the Olympic Games are one of the most effective international marketing platforms in the world, reaching billions of people across the globe.

Sponsors’ support – be it financial, operational or through the provision of products – is crucial to the staging of the Games and the operations of every organisation within the Olympic Movement, including the IOC, Organising Committees (OCOGs) and National Olympic Committees (NOCs).

About The Dow Chemical Company

Dow combines the power of science and technology with the “Human Element” to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world’s most challenging problems, such as the need for renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow’s diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high-growth sectors such as electronics, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2009, Dow had annual sales of USD 45 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Company’s more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 214 sites in 37 countries across the globe. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.